Twits, twats and transfers.....

Since the advent of the Transfer Windows back in 2002, much has been debated on it's merits, once upon a time when life was simpler clubs could buy and sell throughout the season right up until the final week. Nowadays teams have roughly two months at the start of the season and a month mid season to get their squads straight.

With Sir Alex Ferguson safely tucked up in bed with a wee dram and a copy of The Racing Post, every other manager was tearing their hair out on what has become for some, one of the most dreaded time's of the season.

With Manchester United getting their business done early, you can't help wondering why other clubs couldn't follow suit? Along with Liverpool new players were coming in almost as soon the Red Devils lifted the Premiership trophy and it does also make me wonder how those deals were done so fast, I'm not suggesting tapping up but maybe players' agents are more accommodating when it comes to helping their clients move to The Champions......
   
You can't help thinking that Sky Sports had some say in the window's invention - maybe that's one for the conspiracy theorists, but they certainly do try and get their moneys worth out of the clubs involved.

With cameramen and reporters posted @ just about every football/training ground in the country it was left to an ever excitable (this time of year) Jim White to direct the proceedings.
Tottenham, Aresnal, QPR and Stoke City became the places to be if you were looking for an exclusive, and faithful (my definition = a little odd) fans had camped out all day for a glimpse of a new arrival like an expectant Dad waiting for their bundle of joy (obviously without getting too involved with all the messy stuff)
  
Arsenal had just come off the back of a drubbing by Manchester United and Arsene Wenger (he of deep pockets and short arms) was under pressure from the fans, directors, media and just about everyone really to get his cheque book out, the on/off Fabregas move was done and dusted (he was always going home wasn't he?) and Samir Nasri had bolted for the door at the first whiff of Manchester City's wonga - sorry I meant Champions League football.....
Spurs' last minute swoop for VDV that surprised everyone (even the manager) last August was the reason for the camera's outside their training ground as well as the other on/off transfer saga of the summer - that of Luka Modric.
QPR meanwhile newly taken over, had money to spend and following the arrival of rebel without a clause Joey Barton more was expected to follow. And Stoke City........erm well I'm not too sure about that one!

Maybe the evening wasn't the night of high drama we'd hoped for, but Sky did their best to build up the tension, nailed on transfers such as Scott Parker's move to Spurs suddenly were in jeopardy and rival teams were ready to pounce, the tried and tested story of a player in a helicopter ready to fly from one end of the country to the other was briefly mooted with a tug of war going on between Fulham & Newcastle Utd for Bryan Ruiz.
The big name signing for Arsenal was Michel Arteta, the fans cheered as if it were Fabregas back again and when Yossi Benyauon completed his loan move they cheered some more, it was almost like a Big Brother eviction show!
The only real surprise was that Owen Hargreaves was pictured leaving a hospital in Manchester not on crutches but because the unattached midfielder had just passed his medical for Manchester City.
The twists and turns weren't very twisty - or turny for that matter.....and when Harry Redknapp was stopped on is way out of the Spurs training ground on his way home, he was really going home, Kaka would have to wait until January.
The big failing of any of Sky's reporters was to ask the most important question of all "Why leave it so late??"

My own highlights of the evening were;

SWP having a microphone stuck into his face literally seconds after joining QPR and then having to hastily come up with a reason he was so pleased to be coming to the club (when obviously the real reason he came was because his old club didn't want him!)

Tom Huddlestone & Danny Rose @ Spurs using Twitter to add their own spin on their clubs transfer dealings - cue the start of the Kaka to Tottenham rumours that a Sky Sports reporter would later stoke up again during the evening.

Aresnal on the red side of London turning the air blue was a low point, but one cheeky fan almost made up for it with a timely response to Arteta being referred to as being a father figure by quipping "Yeah like my Dad!"

Stoke fans reaction to just about anything, even the arrival of Wilson Palacious!

Anyway that's my take on the window, how about yours? Leave us a comment below or let me know on the page as always we welcome your views..........